Loom



B. W. NELSON Dec. 5, 1961 LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1959 lllllllll INVENTOR. B W. NELSON 3,011,526 LOOM Bernard W. Nelson, Holden, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 844,996

6 Claims. (Cl. 13911) and skilled operators to produce the desired results. One

of the major disadvantages of this type of loom has been the mechanism necessary to control the position of the warp thread, particularly when it is desired to obtain a specificpattern or design of the finished woven cloth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a loom which will perform weaving of designs now limited to the Jacquard type loom which is simple, compact in construction and relatively inexpensive to produce.

which requires no special knowledge for its operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a loom in which patterns can be changed on the same warp simply by changing the control sequence.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a loom wherein the warp threads are controlled individually and independently of each other.

Further objects will become'apparent to those familiar with this art from the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one operating plate and an associated beatup member;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two operating plates in different relative positions together with an associated beat up member therebetween; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective showing o'f a weaving machine with some parts removed to show the details of the present' invention. I

Briefly, this invention provides a means for controlling a series of warp threads individuallyand independently through the use of irregularly shaped operating plates, the warp threads being carried by the irregularly shaped United States Patent 3,011,526 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 21. An opening 23 appears in the forward part of the beat up member, said opening also having a channel 24.

A further object of this invention is to provide a loom Each member 20 is provided with a beat up surface 25, FIGS. 1 and 2, to move the filling thread (not shown) as is usual to the fell F, see FIG. 1. This opening and channel are substantially of the same size and configuration as that of channel 9 and opening 8 on the operating plate. The upper vertical portion 26 at the top thereof is provided with the usual handrail, not shown but well understood in the art. An abutting section protrudes from the rear of the beat up member having a cut out section 29 so that the beat up member may pass over shaft 13 in a forward and backward motion. The upper rear part of beat up member 20 has an extension 27 through which a hole is drilled in order to carry a rod 28. This rod 28 abuts against edge 10 of the operating plate when the beat up member 20 is moved into its forward position, the beat up member being in its forward or beat up position in the showing of FIG. 1. This forward motion of the beat up member causes the operating plate 41 to rotate about shaft 13 in a clockwise direction. The operating plate is prevented from continuing its clockwise rotation by the use of stop bar 19. The operating plate does not abut against stop bar 19 until the beat up member is in its extreme forward position. During return of the beat up member to its back position as shown in FIG. 2, a tension spring 14 mounted at point 15 forces operating plate 41 to rotate counterclockwise about shaft 13 and return to a position wherein the plate abutsagainst stop bar 16, see FIG. 2. The operating plate 41 at edge 12 is notched as at 17 to provide a seattion. If the operating plateis held in its extreme clockwise position by holding device 18, when the beat up 7 member is returned to its rearward position openings 8 and 23 will align themselves. This is the opening through which the shuttle passes when the loom is in operation,

7 and channel 9 allows the thread from the bobbin on the plates which are rotated between two positions to control the position of the warp thread and thus the pattern of the cloth.

FIG. 1 is a detail showing of one of the operating plates 41 together with one of the beat up members generally designated at 20. Each operating plate 41 has an irregular shape with a curved forward face 2. Eyelets 3, 4 and'S are integral with the forward face of plate 41 and have holesfor receipt and delivery of warp thread 7. This arrangement maintains thread 7 in a plane defined ward extending edge 12. [The plate is supported by a shaft 13 and is free to rotate thereon. Eachbeat up member 20 is a substantially straight plate member having lower arm 22 which is pivotally mounted at point shuttle to slip into the open shed.

The various controls are shown schematically since any number-"of control or power units-could be used and are not part of this invention. Control device '32 could be any of the now well known electronic control'devices. Magnetic tape controls or punched card controls or the like may be used for control equipment 32. This control equipment determines which of the various operating plates shall be held in their clockwiseposition and which plates shall be allowed to return to their counterclockwise position when 'thebeat up members are returned to their rearward position as ismore clearly shown'in FIG. 2;

Control device 32 also synchronizes the loom when it is' in operation. A connection 36 is shown to the power movement of: all of the members, see FIG. 1. A control connection 37 is also shown for control of a shuttle oper-i ating device 39. These control. and power operating devices are of a standard nature and available commercially.

FIG. 2 illustrates the-operation" of two plates in a loom. Plate 41 is shown in its .extreme counterclockwise position while plate 42; which is identical to plate 41, is

shown in its extreme clockwise position by, holding device 18. In the showing of FIG. 2 the beat up member has returned to its rearward position. With the beat up member in its rearward position the openings 8 and 23 are coincidental for both plate 42 and beat up member 2% as are the channel openings 9 and 25. As will be obvious, a loom can be made up of as many plates as is desired and the number of plates can be reduced or added to in order to provide the desired width of the cloth being woven. A beat up member is provided between adjacent plates and consists of a fiat metal shape of the configuration described in FIG. 1. The beat up member is provided with the opening 23 and 24 in order that the shuttle which passes through the opening 8 will be provided with a uniform bearing no matter how many plates are held in their forward clockwise position. The position of the plates as shown in FIG. 2 allows the shuttle to pass below the warp thread carried by plate 41 and above the warp thread carried by plate 42. By providing a series of these plates which are individually operated independently from each other and controlled each by a holding device 18, it may be seen that an infinite variety of designs may be Woven into the cloth by manipulating the series of plates through a central control device such as described in FIG. 1. The slotted opening 9 allows the thread from the bobbin in the shuttle to slip into the open shed. The shuttle is sent through the openings when the plates are properly aligned, the control of the shuttle being synchronized with the movement of the plates by the control device of FIG. 1. The rearward extensions of the beat up members 26 are provided for insuring the proper return of the beat up member back and between adjacent plates. The shuttle itself is not part of theinvention and is not shown for the sake of clarity of the drawings. It is to be particularly noted that with the arrangement of the plates of the present invention together with the beat up members, the shuttle travels within a restricted area behind the warp threads and does not ride on the warp threads. This is of obvious advantage.

FIG. 3 shows a representative loom using the present invention. In FIG. 3 the shed 50 is shown in open position with two visible plates being shown, one in an extreme clockwise position and the other in an extreme counterclockwise position. The beat up means is shown in its returned back position with its shuttle openings lining up with the shuttle openings on the plates which are in the clockwise position as previously de scribed in FIG. 2. This forms a continuous shuttle guide when the shed is open, the plates as shown'being in a position for shuttle transfer. The bobbin change or magazine (not shown) is located to the left of plates 41, 42. The shuttle actuator of FIG. 1 would also be located with the bobbin change. The bobbin change has been removed for purposes of clarity in the drawing. .The shuttle box 55 is shown at the opposite end of the plates. Warp beam 58 supplies the warp threads 7 over rod 61 to the various plates, and the finished cloth passes over the breast beam and is rolled onto the takeup roll 57. The electronic equipment as mentioned in FIG. I is located in back of the plates just above the warp beam but is not shown in FIG. 3 for purposes of clarity. The holding device 18 is normally mounted onthe rear of the loom as shown in FIG. 3.

As will now be noted from the above description and drawings a relatively simple mechanism has been provided by this invention whereby an infinite variety of designs and patterns may be woven into a cloth by merely manipulating a series of thin plates individually or in any combination to obtain the pattern desired. Further, the threading of the plates with the warp threads requires no special knowledge and the following of a special pattern of threading is not required. Any person can thread this loom.

Both the loom and the particular configuration of the plates as shown and described are not to be considered as limitations on this invention. Variations of the design and changes in operation will now be obvious to those familiar with this art in. the light of this disclosure without a departure from the essence of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A loom for weaving various types of cloth comprising a plurality of operating plates supported by a shaft, said plates being free to oscillate between predetermined actuated and rest positions, a beat up member mounted adjacent to each of said plates and movable between predetermined first and second portions, said beat up members being secured together for simultaneous movement means for returning said plates to their rest position when said heat up members are returned to their first position, restraining means for temporarily preventing said bias means from returning a preselected number of plates to their return position, each of said plates having an opening therein for allowing passage of a shuttle through the plates which are held in their activated position by said restraining means, and means on said plates through which the Warp threads pass, said shuttle passing below the warp threads carried by the plates which are in the rest position and above the threads carried by the plates in the actuated position.

2. In a loom for weaving various types of cloth, a warp shedding means comprising a plurality of operating plates supported by a shaft, said plates being free to oscillate between an activated and inactivated position, means on said plates through which the warp threads pass, operating means for simultaneously rotating said plates into their activated position, bias means for returning said carried by the plates which are in the activated position and above the warp threads carried by the plates which are in the inactivated position.

3; A means for controlling the position of the warp threads in a loom comprising a plurality of substantially identical irregularly shaped operating plates mounted for oscillation between a first and second position on a shaft, each of said plates having holding means for passing a warp thread therethrough, the position of the warp thread being determined by the angular position of the associated plate, operative means for simultaneously rotating saidv plates from their first to their second position, bias means j for returning said plates to their first position upon release of said operating means, restraining means for ternporarily preventing a preselected number of plates from being returned by said bias means, each of said plates having openings therein through which a shuttle passes when said plates are in their second position, said shuttle passing above the threads carried by the plates in the second position and below the threads'carried by the plates in the first position.

4. A warp shedding means for controlling the position of the warp threads in a loom comprising a plurality of substantially identical irregularly shaped operating plates mounted for independent oscillationabout a shaft between a first and second position, each of said plates having means thereon through which said warp threads pass, the position of the warp threads relative to each other being dependent upon the angular position of said plates, and means for temporarily holding a predetermined number of said plates in their second position and the remainder of the plates in their first position, said means for holding said plates in the first and second position comprising a beat up member mounted adjacent to each of said plates, said beat up members being mounted for simultaneous pivotal movement, means mounted on said beat up members for forcing said plates into said second position upon rotation of said beat up members in one direction, bias means for returning said plates to their first position upon rotation of the beat up members in the other direction and restraining means for preventing said bias means from returning said predetermined number of plates to their first position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said beat up members have an-opening therein through which a shuttle may pass when said beat ups are in said first position.

6. In a loom for weaving various types of cloth, a warp shedding means comprising a plurality of operating plates supported by a shaft, said plates being independently free to oscillate between predetermined actuated and rest positions, each of said plates having means for carrying warp threads so that the relative position of said threads depends upon the angular position of said plates,

a beat up member mounted adjacent to each of said plates and movable between predetermined first and second positions, said beat up members being secured together for simultaneous movement thereof, means on said beat up members for forcing said plates into said actuated position when said beat up members are moved into their second position, bias means for returning said plates to their rest position when said beat up members are returned to their first position, and a restraining means for preventing said bias means from returning a preselected number of plates to their return position, each of said plates having an opening therein for allowing passage of a shuttle through the plates which are held in their activated position by said restraining means.

Parton Ian. 21, 1947 Sakano Dec. 24-, 1957 

